"But surely we're tryin' to get away from the enemy," Jerry suggested. "Ay, it has that look just now, I'll admit; but you'll see some big scheme in it very soon, or I'm a Dutchman, which I ain't." "There's a boat dead ahead, with four men rowin' an' one steerin'," Jim Freeman, who had stationed himself in the tow as a lookout, came aft to report. "Some smarty who's tryin' to make the anchorage first," Darius growled; "but with this wind we can sail two miles to his one, so it won't be that craft which will beat us in." By this time we were well up with the boat, and to our surprise it was Commodore Barney himself who hailed: "Sloop ahoy! Pass a line, and I'll come aboard." He got the line smartly enough, and when he came over the rail Darius saluted, as he said: "We counted you were aboard the Scorpion, sir." "That schooner won't get off for ten minutes or more, and I allowed that the other vessels would be handled in the same leisurely fashion, so, I pulled ahead, thinking to be at the rendezvous before the flotilla was well under way. You lads obeyed orders smartly." "It's a way they have, sir," Darius said with a grin, as he looked over the rail to see that the commodore's boat was being towed where she would be the least drag on the pungy. Then it was that I tried to play the host, by asking the commander if he would go into the cabin. "It isn't a very nice place, sir; but it's clean, and you may be able to get some sleep." "I'll venture to say it's as good a sea-parlor as I, or any other man, deserves, lad; but I'm not needing sleep just now, therefore will stay on deck." Then he fell to pacing the starboard quarter, as if he had been on his own ship at sea, and we lads gathered well forward in order that he might see we understood somewhat of the respect due a commander. CHAPTER XII. SUSPENSE. It is now in my mind to set down what may be dry reading for some who chance to see this labor of love on which I am engaged, and yet if any one desires to know exactly why it was the Britishers could destroy the capital of our country, and come off very nearly scot-free, it is absolutely necessary to become familiar with all our means of defense at this time. Therefore it is that I shall copy that which was published many years later, by Mr. Lossing in his "War of 1812," and in so doing the reader will ask how it is that I am writing this poor apology for a tale in the year of grace 1814, and yet putting into it facts which were made public many years later?